This is a local song and history about the buskers of Ottawa. Let me talk a little bit about them: I probably chatted with Paul Chappmen, I'm not sure but he was an Ottawa busker and a good friend of Tom Pirosk. He was murdered while his girlfriend was being raped. This happened in the early eighties.
Roger Rainbow was a talented guitar played and I sometimes saw his out busking on Sparks street. He was from Hong Kong and was married to Louise Quan and both of them where regular performers in restaurants bars and folk clubs in Ottawa. Roger died suddenly in Toronto were he was just starting to make some headway on a promising musical career.
Derio Demingus when from busking to being a famous concert performer in the eighties.
Doug McKensie and I started this song 1989 when the rain ended our attempt to do some busking. I have changed all the words so the song is 90% mine.
Doug McKenzie was a, some time, busker on the Ottawa Streets. He sang with a high falsetto voice.
When I wrote "Back in the eighties" It was a bit of a joke because it still was the "eighties". Now it really has become nostalgic.
I had my first primitive recording of this song played of Fanshaw Collage radio when I did an interview.
In the picture is myself, Tom Pirosk and the late Roman Buzerkuitz in Vancouver in 1988.